Jesus replied, "The most important one is this – love the Lord your God with all your heart. The second most important commandment is this: love your neighbor as you love yourself." Mark 12:29-31

It was a point-blank question that garnered a point-blank answer. In a world where hundreds of regulations governed daily life, the natural concern was, "Which is the most important rule?" It was a scribe who asked the question, a man whose job was to copy and recopy Scripture. Such repetition made him an expert in such matters. He tested Jesus' expertise-and wasn't disappointed.

The first and foremost command centered on how a person related to God - one's vertical connection. The relationship with God came from love, a love that involved the whole person. But Jesus added another command, a horizontal connection. Loving God was not complete unless one loved his neighbor to the same degree he loved himself.
A bicycle wheel is a remarkable piece of engineering: a single hub connected to a rim by spokes. The rim is useless without the hub; the hub cannot function without the rim. Connecting it all together are spokes. You are the hub and are connected to God and those around you by an infinite number of spokes. What you do with those connections makes a difference in the kind of life you live.

Your love of God involves every part of you: your emotions (heart), your being (soul), your thoughts (mind), and your efforts (strength). Such love is a choice.

You have no control over what others think of you, but you have absolute control over what you think of others. Love is the key, and that love is not based on the worthiness of your neighbors. You can choose to love them as you love yourself. It's not easy, but it is necessary for their good and for yours.

One final thought – what you think of God determines what you think of people; what you think of others governs what you think of God – and that determines what you think of yourself.